Teen entrepreneurs pitch professionals their winning ideas
MORE than 40 young entrepreneurs have put their new business plans to the test in an attempt to impress a panel of professionals. The SKILL! programme invited pupils from Ashfield Girls’ and Ashfield Boys’ School to team up with experienced mentors from Allen & Overy and PwC to pitch innovative concepts to a panel of...
Chamber Revamp
NORTHERN Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI) chief executive Ann McGregor has announced a new internal management structure to reflect the growth of the organisation and to meet the increasing needs of its 1,200 members. Reporting directly to the chief executive will be the heads of business services, business development and communications and policy....
Student Planning
DEVELOPMENT company McAleer & Rushe has been given planning permission by Belfast City Council to develop a 740-bed scheme on College Avenue. This follows the company being granted planning permission by the council earlier this year to develop 476 student bedrooms in McClintock Street. The Tyrone and London based developer will deliver the purpose-built student...
New Chair for XCELL
XCELL Partners Ltd has announced the appointment of Pat Killen as chairperson. Xcell Partners,founded in 2008 by Diane and Mark Roberts, has been closely involved in the development of the start-up community in Belfast and Dublin, working with public organisations including Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to develop home-grown technology companies. Diane Roberts, CEO...
College to join Micon in £100k enterprise
NORTH West Regional College’s Business Support Centre (BSC) has announced a new two-year knowledge transfer partnership. The project with Micon Distribution in Lisburn — funded by InnovateUK, Invest NI and Micon Distribution — is worth over £100,000, and aims to see through the development of a world leading stove for the domestic market. The Knowledge...
Raising a glass to hospitality awards night
ENTRY for this year’s Janus Awards is now closed and the finalists have been announced. The annual event, now in its 21st year pays tribute to and rewards the commitment and passion of those in the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland. Sponsored by Tourism NI, to simultaneously celebrate 2016 being the year of Food and...
QUB Leading the way on IP revenues
QUEEN’S University Belfast is the UK leader for intellectual property commercialisation, according to a recent survey. The results from the latest Higher Education-Business and Community Interaction Survey 2014-15 (HE-CIS) place Queen’s first, ahead of the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London, based on total IP...
Insurance firm’s staff schooled in excellence
ALMOST half of the employees at Northern Ireland-based Autoline Insurance have secured professional qualifications thanks to its commitment to professional development. The numbers were revealed at the inaugural graduation ceremony of the Autoline Academy, an initiative to encourage further staff participation and recognise their achievements. To date, almost 80 employees have secured a total of...
Conference will fly flag for hospitality industry in Belfast
‘INSPIRE, innovate, succeed’ will be the theme of an international hospitality conference to be held in Northern Ireland for the first time next month. Attracting 120 delegates from over a wide range of countries including Australia, USA, Brazil and Denmark, the Council for Hospitality Management Education Conference (CHME) will celebrate its 25th anniversary in Belfast...
Science Showcased
BUDDING young scientists from Northern Ireland schools attended a recent science fair to promote engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). The Sentinus Big Bang exhibition, at Ballymena’s Braid Centre, showcased its innovative projects. Incorporating the Sentinus Team R&D and Go4SET programmes, the exhibition of exciting project work was the result of student research...